Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-03
WONDERFUL SURGERY.
An Infants Brain Relieved of Water
Hip Joint for a Cir

Hip Joint for Girl.
| Two OF the most wonderful surgical cases
| ever recorded have been brought to a sue
cessful termination in Cleveland, Ohio.
some time ago Elsie. the six-nonths'-
Old child of Adam Lucas, a machipist re-
siding on Louis street, received an injury
J IN the neck in peculiar manner. A girl
I having the baby IN her arms wheeled
around on her heel, without. at the sama
time, supporting the childs neck. Soon
after its head became SWOLLEN to thrice its
normal size. 1t became evident that the
| child was suffering from water on the brain.
To add to its sad condition it became TO-
| tally blind, deaf and paralyzed, and only its
faint cry and ability to take nourishment
gave evidence that the vital spark still re-
manned. The attending physicians de-
clared that the child must die. At this
stage OF the case, a surgical operation re-
commended by DT. Vance was determined
upon. piece of the skull bone was re-
moved and o drainage-tube put into the
cavities in the brain through which the
water escaped, and ultimately it ceased to
flow. Then most wonderful change was
observed in the little patient. The head
rapidly decreased in size. Soon the par
ents were oyerjoyed TO discover that the
eyesight had returned. The blind child
could once more see. Then its hearing was
recovered, and finally the paralyzed eondi-
ton of its body gave wav, and now with
all its faculties restored it has developed
from condition worse than death into an
exceptionally bright and winsome little
creature.
The other case is still more remarkable
from professional standpoint Mary
Gallagher is the name of young girl who |
resides on Main street. When She was |
about IL years of age she fell from lum-
Der pile and struck on her hip in such an |
unfortunate manner as to produce hin dis |
ease. The disease caused Il permanent de- |
formity from destruction of the Joint and |
union of the bones OF the thigh and hip at |
such an angle that the foot could not be |
put to the gyound. The limb was drawn |
up, and it was only with the aid of pair
of clutches that the girl was able to crawl |
around. She was taken to the above-named |
surgeon and remarkable operation was
agreed upon. This was nothing more nor
less than the manufacture of an entirely
new joint to take the place ofthe destroyed
hlp-joint. The muscles of the thigh had |
become wasted until the limb was no larger
than mans arm. In the operation a
series of chisels were driven into the bone,
from the back of the thigh, so that the
bone was compressed and V-shaped space
with the widest part of the opening d.
rected backward and outward
When the operation was completed the
leg and thigh could be Strengthened and
brought into line with the body. Two
points kept in view during the
entire operation were TO preserve the mus
Giles and 10 save the covering on the bone
at the opening which had been made. The
limb was Strengthened and put into splints
so arranged that the limb could be moved
daily at the point where the bone was cut.
The exercising of the limb prevented the
bones FROM uniting and enlarged the mus
Giles, the covering of the bones formed
strong cords, which held it in place, and
the result is one of the wonders of modern
surgery. The previously deformed and
crippled girl has been restored to symme-
try, comeliness and usefulness 1t is
claimed by medical men that this is the !
only successful case of the kind on record.